Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: The People's Choice

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  • James Green,

    Slight digression. Even a lot of europeans don't realise that the EU Parliament is in Strasbourg...

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report Reply

  • Damian Christie,

    This is a good blog site, but kind of dominated by testosterone...where all the ladies?

    Yeah and I don't want to be like, a pedant, or anything, but I'm pretty sure we have a few female bloggers on publicaddress. It's not us lads fault that they keep on getting busy popping out children and stuff...

    ...Apart obviously from Fiona, I'm pretty sure Russell had something to do with that one.

    Re the Blog Awards - I've spoken about this before, and I think it'd be a bit of an unecessary wankfest to be honest. Like, firstly there's bugger all blogs in NZ - even fewer seriously viable ones - so with enough categories everyone would be sure to come home with a trophy. Is that really what we want, some mutual appreciation backslapping kinda thing where even cyfswatch come home with a Hardest Tryer Plaque?

    While I'm stoked that PA's collective mantlepiece is getting a bit crowded with *ahem* three from four now *ahem* Netguide Awards, and it's great people think to vote for us, I don't know that any of us would blog any less if there wasn't a gong to do it for... just like (I'm hoping) none of us are in it for the money...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report Reply

  • stephen walker,

    perhaps the current lack of NZ jurists on the privy council is because NZ canned new cases going to the council several years ago and the supreme court pinched all the judges?

    and as another person said, how can you tell where a judge is from based on their (concocted) aristocratic title?

    and if nz's legal system is so damned good, an occasional bit of outside scrutiny is not going to do anyone any harm, is it? maybe even some good.

    nagano • Since Nov 2006 • 646 posts Report Reply

  • 81stcolumn,

    Well done PA be pleased with what you have achieved….

    I don’t think a Hardest Tryer Plaque is aimed at you Damian - c'mon folks have gotta start somewhere........even if they do write in txt.

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Well done Public Address.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Re the Blog Awards - I've spoken about this before, and I think it'd be a bit of an unecessary wankfest to be honest. Like, firstly there's bugger all blogs in NZ - even fewer seriously viable ones - so with enough categories everyone would be sure to come home with a trophy. Is that really what we want, some mutual appreciation backslapping kinda thing where even cyfswatch come home with a Hardest Tryer Plaque?

    I like the idea more in terms of emphasising that political blogs aren't all there is to the medium. There are various good little business and specialist blogs that would benefit from the exposure. And you'd be surprised how many blogs there actually are.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • 81stcolumn,

    As far as Blair is concerned I’m afraid I am part of a group that will always harbour some bitterness towards him. The landslide victory of ’97 wasn’t won entirely on the back of magic and spin. Some people campaigned hard for that victory, which is why the Tories came away with such a bloody nose. Many were wary of the agenda laid out in the 97 manifesto and rightly so. Assurances delivered at the time meant nothing in the following years. No one expected a true socialist agenda, but the divisive policies in Health, Education and Welfare have done nothing for communities first disenfranchised during the Thatcher years. He governed a large nation but only spoke to the voting middle class and upwards, which was tragic. All this was going on before Iraq which served to divide Britain further. As for Northern Ireland, the best I would say is that he was the capable supervisor of a battle that had already been won on the ground before him. In the later years we have seen a greedy and power hungry man clinging to a mandate that was lost some time before.

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • Neil Morrison,

    I don't know why the Police are coming in for criticism over Bain (and Watson etc). It's the Crown that prosecute, not the Police. I think it was about 17 judges all told that presided over this case and all found the same. Maybe there is good reason for a re-trial but all this talk of a Police set up misrepresents how our justice system works.

    Strangely enough I saw the Police videos of the crime scene. It was one weird family. And in my layperson's opinion he was guilty (along with Watson).

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    The perps were actors: Oliver Driver and Anthony Starr, who was particularly boorish.

    Fair cop, Russell, and given Mr. Driver's shall we say rather prickly reaction to professional and personal criticism one might think he'd be a little more gracious towards others. As for Mr. Starr - love Outrageous Fortune, but I don't see a brilliant career in stand-up in his future.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Yamis,

    People would be interested to know what Karam shared privately with my uncle as to who he thought killed the family and why sometime around the trial.

    But I ain't going there. I just thought I'd annoy you all.

    Since Nov 2006 • 903 posts Report Reply

  • Yamis,

    I like the idea more in terms of emphasising that political blogs aren't all there is to the medium. There are various good little business and specialist blogs that would benefit from the exposure. And you'd be surprised how many blogs there actually are.

    I think bloggingtitreal has the "West Auckland/Rugby league/University Educated Team blog" category pretty much sewn up. That is unless there is anybody else in that category in which case they will walk away with it.

    Since Nov 2006 • 903 posts Report Reply

  • sagenz,

    congrats to all.

    russell you forgot to thank sir humps for their idea and strong support for the addition of comments here ;-)

    uk • Since Nov 2006 • 128 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark,

    Firstly - big congratulations to all the Public Address crew. Intelligent meaningful discourse is always a wondrous thing.

    re Music Awards - was also there, and go along with most people on this one. The Brash thing was embarrassing, whatshisface from whatever that programme is called was a complete twat, but I was distracted by the seatrockingly loud music so thought nothing much of the politics.

    re where all the "ladies" are. With Robyn on the whole, no ladies here thing, really. We are women - preferably wimmin. And I have to say, that you have to be a pretty strong woman to frequent this little corner of the universe. There are some fairly esoteric people of the male gender that hang out here, and to get your voice heard above some of it, well, women tend sometimes not to enjoy that. Not all women are averse to it, certainly, but I personally find it daunting at times. There is discussion here on topics of which I have an opinion, and other topics, not so much.......

    re Bain: the more I think about it, the more I come to understand that there is an awful lot of evidence in high profile cases that is never heard in court. We all have opinions about the guilt or innocence of these people, but I'm afraid that we really aren't in possession of all the facts in these cases.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • James Green,

    I don't know why the Police are coming in for criticism over Bain (and Watson etc). It's the Crown that prosecute, not the Police.

    I have to admit I find it rather odd that the police let the place be burnt. I'd always assumed it was like Gray's place at Aramoana (ie, arson).

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report Reply

  • Sue,

    We are women - preferably wimmin.

    not all of us are on the wimmin bandwagon.
    and not all of us are that daunted by PA,

    it's just that some of us are just far to lazy to bother with agro or semi heated discussions, so we just avoid those threads and engaging with people who do enjoy them.

    that said I'd be interested in how the gender divide falls in readership.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 527 posts Report Reply

  • Sue,

    Also cat ownership stats
    they would be interesting

    and by cat ownership i mean those of us who live in a house run by our cats

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 527 posts Report Reply

  • Morgan Nichol,

    Jackie, come now, your text is just the same size and colour as everyone else.

    Auckland CBD • Since Nov 2006 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • brian,

    Re Bain - please read the Privy council's ruling in full, not just the few points offered by some of the media, before spouting off about guilt or innocence . Always beware when a lawyer talks of evidence or the lack thereof - that does not imply guilt or otherwise, it just means there is insufficient evidence to exonerate or convict whatever the case may be. Only one person knows the truth about the events that day and that is David Bain, the rest is speculation. Not that that will slow down talk back radio at all.

    Since May 2007 • 2 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams,

    Totally late to the thread, missed the iterations on issue(s), but want to add my congrats. PA is my default forum for NZ news. Only sorry I couldn't make your fundraiser ealier this year.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams,

    oh and can we have more of Hamish McDouall?

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • john shears,

    Congrats RB and all the team at PA.

    re the Law Lords and their decisions ,it is a fact ( thanks for reminding me RB) that they got it badly wrong as far as NZ telecommunications when they upheld Telecom by referring to an American piece of law which allowed Telecom to continue to be a monopoly and force many to have to grind through this exciting blog material on dialup. (T/C allow me to do it for $3.95 /month tho with no limit thanks T/C)
    They may have upheld the Law but they surely proved that the 'Law is an Ass' in this case.
    Did their Brit legal training not include the American Taft-Hartley Act and others that followed all aimed at breaking up monopolies?.
    David has always been innocent, in MHO,and this is another sad example of the demise of what was once NZ's leading city,a city that refuses to realise that they have not kept pace with the rest of the nation.

    North Shore City • Since Nov 2006 • 21 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark,

    Sue, I was having a wee joke at my own expense with the wimmin thing. Many years ago, as a unifem, our thing was that we weren't women, we were wimmin. W I M M I N. Wasn't at all being serious about that. Morgan - yes, it is the same size as everyone else's (well maybe a bit bigger on my PC since the eyes aren't what they were), but sometimes the discussion is a little more sizeable than I can be, as Sue says, be bothered with, or sometimes after a long day teaching children of 3-5, the brain stretches only to assessments of learning behaviour, or walks with the dog, or cooking dinner, or participating in somewhat less cerebral activities, and not much else, I'm not afraid to say.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Nobody Important,

    I think it was about 17 judges all told that presided over this case and all found the same.

    It has been my personal experience that judges are extremely loathe to rule against another judge. They will contort themselves into pretzels to avoid it if possible

    People would be interested to know what Karam shared privately with my uncle as to who he thought killed the family and why sometime around the trial.
    But I ain't going there. I just thought I'd annoy you all.

    Surely, this amounts to 'abuse' under the rules RB? Yammis should spill the beans immediately or be banned!! "You have 10 seconds to comply"

    expat • Since Mar 2007 • 319 posts Report Reply

  • dad4justice,

    Well done Russell with the recent awards.

    Regarding Tony Blair – he is a liar, as F4J did not ever try to kidnap his son Leo.

    Regarding the David Bain case. I believe that judicial errors, negligence, malpractice and ill-will have compounded the situation. The judiciary is a disgrace to the judicial oath and it is quick to construct a house of cards cover up through the abuse of power. The administration of our law system needs a radical rethink, however the likelihood of judicial and police accountability in New Zealand is a delusional thought?

    Since Jan 2007 • 50 posts Report Reply

  • Riddley Walker,

    Congratulations Russell, well deserved.

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

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